Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1887-04-16
NV, .aoond svsrv tbing was confusion

next second every thing was confusion.
dropped on my face in the middle OF tht
road. Fences, trees, tin roofs, and every
eonceiyab movable thing hurled over and
around me. l lay there suffocated by
dust for what seemed to me ten min
utes, and was struck on the head with
something which raised aslightlump. ltwas
the only time in my life | altogether
despaired of life. lay in the middle OF
the road. SufocatiOn forced me to move,
when dragged myself some 10 feet to a
board walk, under which i got my head
and Law there until the storm abated sutil-
GENTLY for me to rise to my feet, when
got up and looked for my companion whom
I had left in the buss- found that he
had lain in ditch on the other side Of the
road, with his grip over his head, which
was all SCARED up with timber, street
lamps, &c, striking it. 1t was certainly
a close call for both of us. The negro boy
who drove the buss we were in was, un-
derstOod, severely injured. When got up
and saw the buss it was mashed hat and
turned upside-down and lying across the
horse, which lay as if he were dead, but
was afterwards helped to his feet. L
understood the buss was wreck. lpick-
ed my grip out Of the road and proceeded
up town, this time foOt-back, and such
devastation ] never witnessed. / was COW
cred with mud from head TO foot, but l
did not mind that as halt the people saw
were in the same fix. The storm was &C
companied with slight rain which made tt
worse. As walked up the main street OF
the town, which was covered with debris
of every description, it seemed that every
large tree on the street was lying across 1t.
| went up there to sell some goods, but
could not talk goods after that; so pro-
ceeded to see what | could see, as l had
only half an hour to do 1t in. walked
up and down the principal streets, and
everything seemed torn up side down.
The largest church, which was brick, just
opposite to where lay, was lain almost
fiat with the ground; almost every house
in the town was damaged some way or 9th
er One largedry goods store | noticed JUST
as left, from which the whole upper story,
which was of brick had been blown down.
Parties were throwing dry goods by the
bolt down to Others on the pavement, and
they were taken into the front door OF the
storeroOm. heard of several people being
injured, but no one was reported killed.
came down on the following train, and am
glad was left alive to tell the tale, and
wishing st. Clairsville freed from as much
damage as the Good Being would permit
The sky seemed perfectly clear ten min
utes after the cyclone passed over"
ANOTHER STORY.
Mr. J. n. DenOOn, of Chicago, tells the
following thrilling experience with th'
storm: "Mr. r. w. Payne and myself
boarded the :52 p. m. train at Bellaire
Ohio, bound for St. Clairsville, and ar
rived at the Capitol City on time. Motto
ing a dark, yellow cloud hanging over the
town, and beginning TO rain, hurried tt
get in the hack to get up TO the hotel be-
fore the storm commenced; Int did moi
get far from the depot before we noticed
cloud of dust, resembling smoke, rolling
up from the west part OF the town
In very few moments We
soon discovered it to be s
genuine cyclone OF the first water, the mex
thing to think of was to save our lives
We leaped from the hack and rs we lit OIL
the ground the gale OF dust and winC
caught us and threw us upon the ground
B. W. Payne managed TO crawl under the
board walk, where he received few
bumps on the head by the passing debris
The writer managed by rolling TO get IL
the gutter and to save his head held hi'
companion ygripj oyer his head anC
escaped, no doubt, several hard
knocks. The hack and horse wa:
twirled around like n top, and the driver
lcolored) was seriously hurt and was found
after the storm lying under the boardwalk
After the most Obstructive part Of the cy
clone had passed over, managed to get up
aud rubbing the mud, sand, etc, out o
my eyes, / found my companion, Is. w
Payne, considerable distance from me
When reached him we congratulated our
selves, and felt very thankful that we wert
still on the road selling paints and hard
ware. We had not the least idea that s
travelling ulan could go through cyclone
in such elegant shape.
So the next thing was to view the town
which we did in short time, finding it i'm
possible to sell any goods or even talk
goods. We met our customers and found
them all living, and invited us to call II
a more favorable time, which We have fully
decided to 40. will not attempt to give
the amount of damage done to property ol
even how many houses, churches, barns,
stables, &c, were blown to the ground,
for we only remained in the town about
half an hour. l will only say have nc
desire to see another cyclone and hope the
loss of life will be few, rs when / left the
town ] did not learn of any one being
killed, but learned Of few being seriously
hurt. Their names did not learu,"